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would pick up the extension, but then finally plucked the handset from its cradle. It might be one of the girls. ‘Hello?’
    ‘Nell. How are you?’
    I stilled, gripped the phone a little tighter. ‘Darcy.’
    ‘Guilty as charged.’ He paused, as if realising the inappropriateness of this last comment, and then went on with a rush. ‘I, um, need to talk to you. Is now a good time?’
    ‘As good as any.’
    ‘Well, what it is … look, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I mean, I think I’ve been pretty good about everything, and I know you’ve had the girls staying off and on, and of course Quinn’s there for another few years. I wouldn’t even be going down this path now if it weren’t for … circumstances. Beyond my control, you see.’
    ‘Darcy, what on earth are you talking about?’
    ‘The house. It’s about the house.’
    My breath stilled in line with my body. ‘What about the house?’
    ‘I, um, think it’s time we talked about how we’re going to work this.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Move forward, you know.’
    ‘Are you talking about selling the house?’
    ‘Of course not. Well, not necessarily. After we get it valued, you could always buy me out. If that’s what you prefer.’
    I gazed at my curled fingers, the knuckles ivory. ‘That would mean a hefty mortgage.’
    ‘You’d get a bigger share than me, naturally. Because of Quinn. So even with a mortgage, you’d have sizable equity.’
    ‘Oh, terrific. Love a bit of sizable equity. Quantity over quality I always say.’
    There was silence for a moment and then Darcy sighed. I could see him as clearly as if he was sitting on the bar stool beside me, closing his eyes against my intransigence, taking a deep breath of patience. I even knew exactly what he would say next. Something like ‘Nell, there’s no need for sarcasm.’
    ‘Nell, there’s no need for sarcasm.’
    Bingo. I transferred the phone to my other hand and flexed my fingers, almost welcoming the dull throb that surged down to the tips.
    ‘Did you really think that I could afford to just go on? With all my equity tied up there?’
    ‘No, of course not.’ But even as I answered, I knew that wasn’t the truth. ‘I suppose I thought that you’d have the decency to leave things as they are until your youngest daughter was through school. Given it was you ,’ I swallowed the brittle bitterness of this last word, ‘it was you who shot through. You who swapped your family for a chunk of mutton dressed as lamb. You who left the fucking house in the first place.’
    ‘Mum?’
    I looked up to see Quinn standing in the doorway, staring at me.
    She took a step forward. ‘Is everything okay?’
    ‘Everything’s fine, really. Nothing to worry about.’ I mustered a smile as I slid off the stool. ‘But I’ll just take this conversation outside, okay? Back in a minute.’
    ‘Is that Dad on the phone?’
    ‘Back in a minute, okay?’ I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as I passed. Darcy had gone quiet and I hoped, for one vicious, self-indulgent moment, that he felt guilty. I shut the front door and walked down towards the car before lifting the phone again.
    ‘Was that Quinn? Is she all right? Is she still there?’
    ‘Yes. Yes. No.’
    ‘Don’t call Tessa names, she doesn’t deserve it. I expect better from you.’
    ‘Are you kidding me?’ Hot tears instantly burnt my eyes, blurring the line between anger and pain. ‘Are you kidding me?’
    Silence stretched once more. ‘Can’t we at least be civil? Surely this isn’t the way you want to play it.’
    ‘I’m not the one who’s trying to sell up.’ I closed my eyes, willing the throbbing to ease.
    ‘I’m not trying to sell up. I’m trying to explore options. Trying to move forward.’
    ‘Yeah, you said that before.’
    ‘Look, there is an alternative.’ Darcy spoke slowly now, as if unsure whether to continue. ‘I suppose I could buy you out.’
    I leant against the car. ‘And what?